Quick release nut

ABSTRACT

A U-shaped nut having a recess provided with a semi-circular threaded inner end and an outer portion defined by parallel wall surfaces spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the threaded inner end, to enable the nut to move transversely into engagement with a conventional bolt, at any point along the length of the bolt, for meshing the nut thread with the bolt thread, and a washer slidably fitting on the bolt and having a depression in one side thereof in which the nut is received and confined against lateral movement relative to the bolt. Said depression of the washer and the nut have complementary surfaces disposed in abutting engagement when the nut is fully seated in the depression to prevent lateral sliding or rocking movement of the nut relative to the bolt.

United States Patent 51 July 11,1972

Victor [54] QUICK RELEASE NUT [72] Inventor: Michel N. Victor, I76Crestview Drive,

Pittsburgh. Pa. l5236 [22] Filed: March 17, 1970 [2|] Appl.No: 20,362

[58] FieldotSearch ..85/33.32

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 797925 SH 905 Thomas ..85/332374.309 4/l 94S Roxs ..85/33 2261,53? ll/l94l Zamarra ..85/32 V OTHERPUBLICATIONS German printed application, Reinigner, I.O46,4l0, 12- I958Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen Alrorne rJohn N. Randolph ABSTRACT AU-shaped nut having a recess provided with a semi-circular threadedinner end and an outer portion defined by parallel wall surfaces spacedapart a distance greater than the diameter of the threaded inner end, toenable the nut to move transversely into engagement with a conventionalbolt, at any point along the length of the bolt, for meshing the nutthread with the bolt thread, and a washer slidably fitting on the boltand having a depression in one side thereof in which the nut is receivedand confined against lateral movement relative to the bolt. Saiddepression of the washer and the nut have complementary surfacesdisposed in abutting engagement when the nut is fully seated in thedepression to prevent lateral sliding or rocking movement of the nutrelative to the bolt.

2 China, 8 Drawing figures PATENTEUJUL 1 1 1972 3 s 75 530 FIG I I l ]2sT1 20 M A'I, l gfiiifi' [W fiTi' 29 HEL N. VICTOR ATTORNEY QUICK RELEASENUT SUMMARY It is a primary object of the present invention to provide anovel nut for use with a specially constructed washer and which enablesthe nut to be applied to a bolt, carrying the washer, at any convenientpoint along the length of the threaded bolt shank by lateral movement ofthe nut relative to the bolt, and thereafter seated in a depression ofthe washer by movement of the washer along the bolt toward the nut, toprevent transverse movement of the nut relative to the bolt and forretaining the threaded portion of the nut in mesh with the bolt thread,so that the nut can be tightened by only a few turns, or loosenedsufficiently to be disengaged from the washer and detached from the boltby backing off the nut a few turns from a tightened position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nut capable of beingused with a conventional machine threaded bolt.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nut and washer havingco-acting abutting surfaces which cooperate to prevent transversemovement of the nut relative to the bolt or rocking movement of the nutrelative to the bolt, when the nut is in threaded engagement with thebolt and is seated in the depression or socket of the washer.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a nut that is soconstructed that it may turn in unison with or relative to the washerwhen the nut is seated in the washer depression and retained thereby inthreaded engagement with the bolt.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a side elevational viewshowing the nut and washer applied to a bolt and tightened for securingtwo members between the bolt head and washer;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view looking from right to left of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, primarily in elevation, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view looking toward the recessed side of thewasher;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the washer, taken substantially along aplane as indicated by the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view looking toward one of the corresponding oppositesides of the nut, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view thereof, taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically tothe drawing, the invention in its entirety comprises a novel nut 10, asbest seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, and a novel washer 11, as best shown inFIGS. 5 and 6.

The nut 10 is substantially U-shaped and includes a base portion 12 fromwhich projects corresponding legs 13 which combine with the base 12 todefine a relatively deep recess 14. The inner end of the recess 14,fomied by the inner side of the base 12, is semi-circular and isthreaded, as seen at 15. The substantially flat parallel inner faces 16of the legs 13, defining the outer portion of the recess 14, are spacedapart a distance greater than the diameter of the semi-circular threadedportion 15.

The base 12 has a convexly curved outer side 17. The terminals of thelegs 13 are bevelled on their outer sides to provide convex surfaces 18.The surfaces 17 and 18 define parts of a circle having a centercorresponding to the center of the threaded portion so that the surfaces17 and 18 are disposed concentric to the threaded portion 15 of the nut.

The nut 10 has corresponding substantially flat and parallel oppositefaces 19 which are disposed perpendicular to the axis of the threadedportion 15, and substantially flat outer sides 20 forming wrench lands,which are disposed perpendicular to the faces 19.

The nut 10 has inclined surfaces 21 extending between the faces 19 andthe convex surfaces 17 and 18 for a purpose which will hereinafter bedescribed.

The washer 11 has a central opening 22. One face 23 of the washer 1 1 isrecessed to provide a socket 24 having a cylindrical wall 25 which isdisposed concentrically around the opening 22, and a substantially flatbottom wall 26. The socket 24 has an annular inclined wall 27 extendingbetween the bottom wall 26 and the cylindrical wall 25 and which isdisposed at an incline relative to the wall 26 correspondingapproximately to the incline of the surfaces 21 relative to the faces 19adjacent thereto. The other side 28 of the washer 11 provides asubstantially flat annular surface disposed around the opening 22.

FIGS. 1 through 4 show the nut 10 and washer 11 applied to aconventional bolt 29 having a machine thread 30 and provided with a head31 at one end thereof. The bolt 29 is shown extending through two rigidmembers 32 and with the bolt head 31 abutting against the outer side ofone of said members. The opening 22 is of a diameter sufficient topermit the washer 11 to be slid longitudinally over the threaded end ofthe bolt for positioning its face 28 against the outer side of the othermember 32. The spacing between the nut faces 16 is slightly greater thanthe diameter of the bolt thread 30 to permit the nut 10 to be slidtransversely into engagement with the bolt 29, as indicated in brokenlines of FIG. I, with either side 19 facing toward the washer 11. Thenut 10 from its broken line position of FIG. I would be moved from rightto left against the washer face 23 and then displaced upwardly to meshthe thread 15 with a portion of the bolt thread 30. The diameter of acircle portions of which are formed by the surfaces 17 and 18 of the nut10 is substantially equal to the diameter of the wall 25, so that whenthe threaded portion 15 is meshing with the bolt thread 30, the washer11 can be moved from left to right of FIG. 1 from its full line to itsbroken line position for seating a portion of the nut 10 in the socket24.

As seen in FIGS. I and 4, the nut 10 is substantially wider than thewasher 11 so that a conventional wrench, not shown, can then be appliedto the lands 20 for rotating the nut 10 to advance the nut and washertoward the members 32 for clamping the members 32 between the bolt head31 and the face 28 of the washer, as illustrated in full lines of FIG.1.

It will thus be seen that irrespective of the length of the bolt 29, thenut 10 can be applied thereto and tightened with only a few turns.Conversely, from its tightened position, the nut 10 can be backed off afew turns to disengage it from the socket 24 so that it can then beremoved transversely from the bolt 29.

Since the nut thread 15 engages only one-half of the circumference ofthe bolt thread 30 so that the nut is not supported by the bolt threadagainst rocking movement, the nut will tend to rock clockwise, as seenin FIG. 4, as it is tightened. However, the inclined surfaces 21 and 27will contact and generate a torque tending to rock the nutcounterclockwise about the point 33, FIG. 6, towards the axis of thebolt as the nut is tightened. This force is directly proportional to thedistance between the bottom thread and any point along the engagedportion of the threads. This force, added to the force produced byreaction between parallel surfaces 17 and 25 is greater than the radialcomponent of the axial load tending to separate the engaged portion ofthe nut and bolt. Thus, the nut will remain engaged and will have thesame functional characteristics as the conventional hexagon nut.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resortedto, without departing from the function or scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a washer and a nut adapted to engage aconventional headed bolt, said washer having a central opening toslidably receive the threaded bolt shank, one face of the washer havingan outwardly opening socket including a cylindrical wall of uniformdiameter disposed concentrically around said opening and a substantiallyflat circular bottom; said nut being U-shaped and including a base andcorresponding legs projecting from said base and having spaced apartsubstantially parallel inner faces combining with an inner face of thebase to define a recess to receive the threaded bolt shank when the nutis displaced transversely into engagement therewith, said inner face ofthe base being threaded to provide a semi-circular threaded portionwhich meshes with a portion of the bolt thread, said nut having a majortransverse dimension no greater than the diameter of the cylindricalwall to be received in the socket when the washer is displaced along thebolt toward the nut and the nut thread is meshing with the bolt thread,said base having a convex outer face of uniform diameter a part of whichis disposed in engagement with said annular wall of the socket to retainthe nut thread in engagement with the bolt thread to enable the nut andwasher to be moved axially in either direction along the bolt byrotation of the nut, said nut having a flat side seating against saidsocket bottom when the nut is in engagement with the socket, the largestdiameter of the flat side being substantially equal to the largestdiameter of the flat bottom, said socket having an annular inclinedsurface disposed between said bottom and the cylindrical wall, and saidnut having an inclined surface extending between said flat side and saidconvex outer face and abutting a portion of the inclined surface of thesocket when the nut is seated in the socket, said inclined surface ofthe nut having a convex peripheral portion in axial alignment with andconcentric with the convex outer face of the nut base.

2. The combination as defined by claim I, said legs of the nut havingterminal portions defining convex surfaces engaging portions of thecylindrical wall of the socket and inclined surfaces engaging portionsof said annular inclined surface of the socket when the nut is seated inthe socket.

I I i

1. The combination of a washer and a nut adapted to engage aconventional headed bolt, said washer having a central opening toslidably receive the threaded bolt shank, one face of the washer havingan outwardly opening socket including a cylindrical wall of uniformdiameter disposed concentrically around said opening and a substantiallyflat circular bottom; said nut being U-shaped and including a base andcorresponding legs projecting from said base and having spaced apartsubstantially parallel inner faces combining with an inner face of thebase to define a recess to receive the threaded bolt shank when the nutis displaced transversely into engagement therewith, said inner face ofthe base being threaded to provide a semi-circular threaded portionwhich meshes with a portion of the bolt thread, said nut having a majortransverse dimension no greater than the diameter of the cylindricalwall to be received in the socket when the washer is displaced along thebolt toward the nut and the nut thread is meshing with the bolt thread,said base having a convex outer face of uniform diameter a part of whichis disposed in engagement with said annular wall of the socket to retainthe nut thread in engagement with the bolt thread to enable the nut andwasher to be moved axially in either direction along the bolt byrotation of the nut, said nut having a flat side seating against saidsocket bottom when the nut is in engagement with the socket, the largestdiameter of the flat side being substantially equal to the largestdiameter of the flat bottom, said socket having an annular inclinedsurface disposed between said bottom and the cylindrical wall, and saidnut having an inclined surface extending between said flat side and saidconvex outer face and abutting a portion of the inclined surface of thesocket when the nut is seated in the socket, said inclined surface ofthe nut having a convex peripheral portion in axial alignment with andconcentric with the convex outer face of the nut base.
 2. Thecombination as defined by claim 1, said legs of the nut having terminalportions defining convex surfaces engaging portions of the cylindricalwall of the socket and inclined surfaces engaging portions of saidannular inclined surface of the socket when the nut is seated in thesocket.